San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-11-18
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER, 10, 1887.
WORTHY AND WELL BEGUN.

1t Is distinctively true of San Antonio
that what she does is done without any
flourish Of trrmpets. A few people get
together, determine on some given
thing, arrange to do it, do it, and the
general public very often know but little
about it until it is an accomplished
fact. This ia particularly true OF what
the San Antonio ladies do. The estab-
lishment Of the Van Dyke art club,
the art school in connection Herewith,
the literary annex. and now
the WOmsn's Exchange all show how
q quiet work can be done, and is done,
with no flourish Of trumpets to usher in
its doing. 1t is OF the last mentioned
that this article desires especially to
speak. Until yesterday very few people
In San Antonio had any definite idea
Of what the WOmsn's Exchange OF this
city was doing, proposed to do and
hoped to do. The lunch prepared by
them on yesterday was not
more for the purpose OF
raising funds to help along
their work than to advertise themselves
in this city and bring their work to the
notice of the public. This was most
eftectually done, and the LIGHT does
most heartily and sincerely congratulate
the ladies Of the Exchange upon the
financial and general success of their
efforts. The scores who sat down to
the lunch tables of the Exchange will
not readily forget that these tables are
daily spread, and spread by womanly
hands 10 obedience to the
dictates of warm, womanly hearts de-
vising for the aid, comfort, assistance
and good of their worthy, but less fortu-
nate sisters, whose necessities compel
them to provide the means for their own
living and that of their families. This is
not In any sense a charity. IL is bust
ness. 1t is conducted on business prlnoi-
pies, and aims In a purely business way
to put dependent women, who have no
business, In the way OF seli.suppOrt by
providing business for them. The la
dies keep the Exchange, pay all its
expenses, make themselves RESPONSE
Bile for the proper execution Of all orders
entrusted to them, and act as the agents
OF all those who desire such work as the
Exchange contracts TO furnish-snd does
all this for the very moderate sum Of
ten per cent upon the face value of the
orders, giving the other ninety per cent
to the wOrkwOmen who execute their or
ders. These orders are for every va
riety Of plain and fancy needle work
such as shirt-making, and the making of
all classes Of ladies and chill
dren's underwear, embroidery, mend
Ing, dsrning, knitting, and all
else that needles can do. They also
take orders for the supply Of all kinds of
plain and fancy cooking, furnishing the
tables Of those who desire them with all
the delicacies In the way OF homemade
dishes that may be desired. The only
limit to their operations is the finding OF
competent fingers to execute their COM
missions, and this is where the real
work Of the Exchange comes In. The
ladies seek out those who are needy,
who want to help Themselves, who are
diffident about making their necessities
known, or they are sought out
by these and a list is kept OF
such persons and what they
can furnish. AS orders come in
they are turned over to such applicants
as approve themselves on trial to be
competent and reliable, and thus the
work Of the Exchange goes on. The
exchange Of this labor for the cash 1t
brings being effected without any COM
mnniostion between the parties.
This work, so auspiciOusly begun In
San Antonio, has been commenced un-
der equally modest circumstances else
where and in the course Of few years
has grown to large proportions, it's
yearly receipts numbering many
thousands Of dollars, and its
work giving comfort and inGe-
pendenoe to many homes that 9TH
erwise would have been left destitute